Facing a Divorce?
Our Divorce Lawyers Guide You Through The Process
Are you considering divorce? You may have numerous concerns: How will it affect the children? Can you reach an agreement with lawyers involved? Is there a way to avoid the strain of a lengthy court battle? Moen Sheehan Meyer, Ltd. understands that feelings of betrayal, anger, or pain may underlie a situation in which people who had previously pledged to pursue a life together have decided to part ways. Before making any decisions, our attorneys consider foremost the repercussions they will have on the entire family. You can depend on our attorneys to seek, above all else, to make the transition as harmonious as possible.
Moen Sheehan and Meyer, Ltd is the second oldest firm in the state of Wisconsin, and its divorce lawyers have over 50 years collective experience. They have handled many types of litigation and successfully argued before the federal court of appeals. Although they have aggressively battled tough cases against determined opposition, when dealing with family law cases, the attorneys believe in family first.
How do I start divorce proceedings and how long will this take?
For a divorce proceeding to begin, parties should have exhausted all other options for reconciliation and come to the conclusion that the marriage cannot survive. One party must then file a summons and serve a petition to the other spouse. Usually hiring an attorney is necessary in all but the simplest of cases.
In the state of Wisconsin, most divorces take approximately four months. However, in cases involving children, parties must discuss custody, which can prolong the case up to six to nine months.
What will happen to our finances? Can I get alimony or financial support?
Divorce also means separating a couple's finances. A court will usually order the parent who does not have placement to pay child support to the parent with placement. Wisconsin law makes it quite simple to determine the required amount of child support. Child support is defined in a table that lists what certain percentage of gross income the spouse must pay per child involved. However, the court can change this percentage based on various factors, such as whether the amount would be unfair to the child.
One party may also face the possibility of having to pay alimony, or “spousal maintenance.” A court will usually award alimony in a case where one spouse was financially dependent on the other, and bases the amount on factors such as the length of the marriage and the standard of living of the couple. It ends when the spouse receiving alimony either remarries or becomes self-supporting.
Can I make this easier on my children and how will I support them?
Children are, of course, the most important consideration in a divorce. Attorneys and spouses must decide where the children will live, and whether parents will share decision-making authority on matters such as schooling, medical care, and religion. Custody disputes can sometimes erupt in a divorce proceeding, which can cause great distress and leave emotional scars that we attempt to avoid at all costs.
Because these issues can become so heated, the divorce lawyers at our law firm always strive to settle matters outside of court first. A process called divorce mediation was created in an attempt to help parties reach an agreement diplomatically — particularly when children are involved.
Our attorneys believe that when dissolving a marriage, a paramount goal is to make sure that each party leaves the table feeling as though we met their needs. Our attorneys will tend to your rights while minimizing bad feelings. For a lawyer well versed in the law yet sensitive to the human aspect of divorce, contact Moen Sheehan and Meyer, Ltd, today for a free consultation.
